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About Me

I am an ER nurse, new to nursing, and new to the ER. I am terrified, exhilarated, and I LOVE my job. I have created this space to share and archive the lessons that I am learning, to blog about my day to day experiences, and to provoke discussions and dialogue with other ER nurses and healthcare professionals, and the general public on all things related to nursing, health and healthcare.

Thank you for stopping by. Whether you are an ER/ED nurse, a nurse, a healthcare professional of any other kind, a student, a friend to a nurse, a patient, or just someone who stumbled onto this website by accident, there is, or there will be something here for you.

I am just curious if other areas in the US are witnessing the extent to which a seeker will go to obtain their drugs. Not only is this taxing on all ER's resources, but this is also detrimental to the addict and their family. Each day I work in the ER I see many individuals who are simply there to get their "hydro's". I have seen them punch walls, cut themselves with sharp objects, hit each other, etc. to have an injury that requires narcotics. It's difficult to remain objective when you repeatedly see these patients.

It has been a while since I have updated my blog. I have incurred many changes which include completing my BSN, and I will be beginning graduate school in August to pursue my Master's of Science in Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner degree. This has been a very difficult decision because I love my career as an ER nurse, but I feel that there is no opportunity for advancement. The company I work for, who is a for-profit hospital, does not offer any upward mobility for those who are committed to higher education or training.

Today I only had to work 6 hours, because I filled in for a call in. However, in those few hours I felt as if I had taken care of half of the town! I had multiple admits, and with the lack of resources, can make for an exhausting shift. I really wonder if some facilities realize that ancillary support of lab personnel for venipuntures or transporters to move the patient's could actually increase patient satisfaction. I certainly know it would increase mine!

I found myself in hot water the other day because of the call bell. One of my peers received two ambulance patients at the same time, and since I wasn't too busy, I figured I'd run in and give a hand. I got the patient settled in, did my assessment, inserted a luer and drew some blood, did an ECG... all the usual. Then as is my usual practice, I explained what the process would be and that there might be a wait. I then grabbed the call bell and let her know to press the bell if she needed anything.

When doing CPR, the last thing you're thinking of is music, really, but maybe you should be, and specifically the Bee Gees song Stayin' Alive.

According to the American Heart Association, at 103 beats per minute the Stayin' Alive song almost perfectly matches the rhythm needed to jump start the heart (100 beats per minute). And, apparently, the American Heart Association has been using the song as a training tip for CPR instructors for about two years.

A 68 year old female presented to the ER with complaints of abdominal pain and vomiting for three days. Past medical history was significant for end stage renal disease on hemodialysis, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

Her past surgical history was significant for bilateral below the knee amputations (BKA), coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), and amputations of two fingers on her left hand.

Privacy/HIPAA Disclaimer

The cases and persons that are described in these pages are composites, none representing any one particular patient, person, or case. While the medical facts are all true and accurate, I have edited and doctored and composited enough that none of the personal descriptions, family settings, or any other distinguishing features are representative of any real actual person. In other words, I am not violating any HIPAA laws and regulations on this website, and the privacy of all my patients is completely protected. Any resemblance to any living person is completely accidental and unintentional.